Path 2

Path 2

Smoking On Outdoor Train Platforms Now Banned

August 15, 2011

Governor Cuomo signed a bill today that will ban smoking on outdoor train platforms operated by the MTA, including the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North. He said, “It is important that commuters are not unwillingly subject to the dangers of second-hand smoke while waiting on train platforms.” Cue smokers all over the city scoffing at the very idea that you could harm someone with your little wisps of secondhand smoke on an outdoor train platform.

This new ban doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise. But the list of places that smokers can’t smoke is getting quite long: in recent years, smokers have had to kiss goodbye to restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, plazas, and doorsteps. At least we’ve still got our own apartments! (Not for long.)

Where will the stressed out LIRR commuters light up? What about those heading to Westchester, who tend to be drinking the whole way up and probably need a smoke (anyone else found this to be true — the party-like atmosphere of the Metro-North during rush hour, I mean?)?